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Microsoft leaks reveal 'Threshold' projects looming in 2015

Releases could see remake of three Redmond platforms

Microsoft is reportedly planning to launch a series of updates in 2015 that could see major revisions for the Windows, Xbox, and Windows RT platforms.

According to a report from ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley, officials within Microsoft are planning a series of updates that will take place in 2015. Dubbed "Threshold", the reported updates could bring major overhauls to Windows, Windows RT, and Xbox One.

The report stopped short of calling for a convergence of all three Microsoft operating systems, but did suggest that the Threshold development could include common elements for all three major platforms and shared services.

The company has yet to respond to a request for comment on the report – Microsoft seldom addresses rumors and speculation.

An update for the desktop and mobile Windows platforms appears to already be in the cards even as Redmond searches for a new CEO. Last week, company executives noted that Microsoft will need to solve the problem of keeping multiple versions of its OS for desktop, mobile, and tablet systems as it currently does with Windows, Windows Phone, and Windows RT.

"We have the Windows Phone OS. We have Windows RT and we have full Windows. We're not going to have three," said Windows Hardware chief Julie Larson-Green.

Those comments, combined with a renewed focus on pitching the Xbox One as a home-entertainment portal rather than strictly a games console, could support the notion that Microsoft is looking to build on a converged approach to its desktop and mobile platforms as it attempts to remake the company in the wake of CEO Steve Ballmer's departure.

On the CEO search, the company is said to be narrowing down its list of possible candidates to a small group of "probable" choices including Alan Mulally and Satya Nadella, with Briton Tony Bates a potential third finalist. ®